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2010 mazda rx-8 Reviews and News

2010 Mazda RX-8

By
Automobile Magazine
- 12/22/2010

The only rotary engine in the automotive world lies within the Mazda RX-8. An Iconic power plant for decades, and used to its best potential in the now out of production RX-7. The RX-8 continues Mazda's tradition of sports cars built around the tiny rotary engine. It is however, a sedan, rather than the previous coupes. A none to portly 3000 LB. curb weight combined with perfect 50/50 front to rear weight distribution, make the RX-8 a best of class handling machine. Unfortunately, the rotary engine cannot produce the kind of power that is usually found in models in this segment. A better corner carver than a straight line rocket.

The 1.3 liter twin rotor engine isn't the most fuel efficient and it lacks much power in the lower rev range, but once spooled up, things get much better. 232 HP comes at 9000 RPM's. This is only available with the manual. With the automatic transmission power is limited to 212 hp. While these numbers are hardly earth shaking, the power delivery from this rotary engine is some of the smoothest to be found.

Once bestowed with Automobile Magazine's prestigious All-Star award, the Mazda RX-8 is a hit with our editors, but slipping sales numbers may lead Mazda to pull the plug on its rotary-powered sports coupe. A recent report, however, suggests that Mazda may be planning a turbocharged successor to the iconic RX-7 coupe, dubbed RX-9.

To some people, the sound of a rotary engine revving at 9000 rpm is like nails on a chalkboard. Not me. But its constant, high-pitched hum sounds similar to that of a busy beehive. It's one of the most distinct sounds in the automotive world and has experienced great success both on the road and on the racetrack.

On paper, a $33,000 sports car that makes 159 lb-ft of torque and gets worse fuel economy than a Chevrolet Camaro SS (which 420 lb-ft of torque) sounds about as appealing as ordering a grilled cheese sandwich at a fancy Japanese hotel. (Trust me, this is a perfect simile. I once made this mistake and wound up with a $40 hunk of something that tasted neither grilled nor cheesy.)

It's easy to forget the odd little RX-8, and then you get into one after a long absence and you immediately remember what a great chassis this is. Wow. So, so fun to rev up the rotary, throw yourself into a freeway on-ramp, and burst into the traffic stream at 80 or 90 mph. The interior is still very fresh after all these years, and the rotary-engine design cues, like the rotor-shaped top to the shift knob, are endearingly cool. Our test car also had a set of superb Recaro bucket seats.

The rotary's depressing torque output may actually be a boon to the RX-8. Instead of the simple kick of easy acceleration, the RX-8 leads you to handling nirvana where the thrills are much more satisfying. It's unfortunate that the RX-8 is a relative outcast in the sports car set, as it's an absolutely wonderful car. The Recaro seats are comfortably snug, the stubby shifter feels wonderful, and the engine spins effortlessly. The only thing the RX-8 wants is that sizeable dose of torque.

Joe DeMatio stole my lead-in comment almost verbatim: indeed, it is easy to forget about the Mazda RX-8 since it's been on the market for quite a few years now. But this Mazda remains, and always has been, one helluva fun car. Sure, it's lacking in the power -- and especially torque -- departments, but the handling, steering, and gearbox are so good that it makes it one of the faster slow cars that are fun to drive really quickly. The clamshell-door coupe's packaging is incredibly good, too, as I noted a couple years ago after chauffeuring three friends to a Detroit Tigers game. If only the RX-8 weren't so expensive to buy and operate (the latter due to its poor fuel mileage and high oil consumption), I'd give it a resounding recommendation to other guys like me-car buffs with young children.

If you're a Wankel-lover based in Europe, now is the time to buy into a Mazda RX-8. Thanks to new emission standards enacted by the European Union, the automaker is forced to pull the car from the European market after the 2010 model year.

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